Optimism pt. I

It's a good year if you're a sprint car fan.

While some people complained about the absence of ASCS Midwest events at Nebraska's
only weekly 360 Sprint track, it was shown last year that racer participation
was spotty. The ASCS sanctioned Nebraska Cup in September saw
a good car count, but so did the non-sanctioned Icebreaker. One could argue
that the races outside the core of the season and the higher payout were
bigger factors. It did give the previous Eagle management's reasoning, "I
have an ASCS show each week" some credence.

I'm not knocking ASCS here, I'm crediting the strength of Eagle's weekly
sprint show. Indeed, I think that the full potential of an ASCS regional show is
best realized at tracks that don't have a strong sprint program. 

The 2009 schedule with Eagle being "ASCS-less" yet with four shows up the road
at I-80 and two an hour from Lincoln at JMS needs to be looked at with a different 
attitude that somehow they're picking up where Eagle is missing out. I disagree with
that. In fact, I think it's the best of both worlds and seems to be the
best formula for the tracks, ASCS, racers and fans.

Think about it as a sprint fan. Instead of taking away weekly Saturday shows
at Eagle to run under the ASCS banner, there's even more shows to attend, at
roughly the same distance. I-80 & JMS host sprint shows without having to
run the weekly commitment, while Eagle doesn't have to add sanction fees, and
purse for what it already has.

What about two-day shows at one track? Having worked in the front office at
a racetrack, I can tell you that two day shows are rarely two, FULL, shows.
Usually the first day suffers. 

While on paper, they seem to be the same I think being in the entertainment
business lets one see the intangible effect that doesn't show up on
spreadsheets. The effect of variety is hard to quantify but it's evident.

From experience in the office and experience traveling to many shows on a
race team and as a fan, it's been my observation that two similar shows at
two tracks tend to draw better overall than two identical shows at the same
track. Let's be honest, sprint shows at long tracks are different than shows
at small tracks. Not better or worse, just different.

But that can be a good thing.

Going to one place for two days and seeing the same people in the same
events is like ordering the same food two nights in a row, though some find
two nights of steak good, instead you have lobster one and steak the other,
both good but both different. It may be fine food, and it may be pricey, but
it's DIFFERENT food. So if one track can fulfill a demand, while the
'feeder' track doesn't need to incur more expense, it's a good thing. 

To continue with the variety theme, it's also a good chance for people who
don't attend Eagle weekly to see something different too.

Any sprint car fan should be elated to have that kind of choice in this
economic climate. 

Jason